Detachable button



C. R. NALLE Apr. 17, 1923.

DETACHABLE BUTTON Filed Feb, 14, 192? Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

man STATES.

ntense nn'mcnanm Barron.

I Application filed February 14, 1922. Serial No. 536,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. N ALLE, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in detachable buttons.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a button which may be readily attached to a garment whenever needed without penetrating or otherwise injuring the fabric and which may be as readily detached and removed from the garment without injuring either the button or the fabric.

Another object is to provide a button having separable parts and which is adapted to be secured to a garment by frictional engagement of the fabric between said parts. The fabric is gripped thereby with sufficient tenacity to prevent loss of the button from the garment while in use; however, a particular feature resides in the ease with which the parts may be separated when it is desired to detach said button.

Another object is to provide a hollow button which is adapted to receive the fabric to which the button is attached and the major portion of the fastening element, whereby only a flat disk is present on the inner or under side of the goods, and the button is held in close contact with the fabric, thus simulating its attachment when secured in the usual manner.

A particular advantage of this invention is that no part of the device penetrates the goods, nor is the latter punctured; also its ease of manipulation, its simplicity and its compactness are hi hly desirable.

A construction esigned to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompan ing drawings, in which an example of t e invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a button constructed in accordance with my invention, and which is attached to a piece of fabric,

Fig. 2 is a face view of the button, a portion of the same being broken away,

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

as spring metal or Fig. 4. is an enlarged perspective view of the plug In the drawings 'the" numeral 10 designates an inverted frusto-conical shell or body whlch is open at its reduced end and adapted to receive a plug to be hereinafter described; the inner edge of said plug surrounding the opening being provided with an annular bead 11, as is best shown in Fig. 3. I

aid plug comprises a circular head or disk 12. A plura ity of tongues 13 are integral with the underside of the disk and pro ect therefrom. Said ton es are slightly spaced apart and curved to o i'm an annular lnsert, as is best shown in Fig. 4. The tongues are made of resilient material, such the like, and are offset outwardly at their intermediate portion to provide an annular shoulder 14. In order to facilitate the inserting of the plug in the openin of the shell 10,1 provide notches 1a in t e sides of the tongues adjacent the disk 12. It will be seen that said notches reduce the width of the tongues near the disk, thus permitting said tongues to be bent inwardly when being inserted in or withdrawn from the said shell.

The button may be attached anywhere to a garment by bringing the shell 10 into contact with the fabric, whereby the latter is disposed over the openin and then engaglng the tongues 13 with t e opposite side of the fabric and inserting said tongues in sald opening. By such operation it will be seen that the tongues 12 force the fabric into the shell in the form of a pocket, said fabric being frictionally engaged between the head 11 and said tongues. When the button is attached the resiliency of the tongues, together with the shoulder 14, holds the plug against displacement. It is pointed out in Fig. 3, that the tongues are of such length as to permit the fabric to be disposed between their ends and the shell without puncturing the goods. Sufiicient fabric may be inserted in the hollow shell with the plug to overcome any tendency to stretch the goods, as is obv1ous.

The disk 12 is sli htly larger in diameter than the reduced em? of the shell, and by virtue thereof it is evident that said disk may be easily gripped with the ends of the fingers or a small instrument and the plug thereby extracted. It is obvious that it is only necessary to extract the plug to detach the button tllii from the goods. It is pointed out that the resilient nature of the tongues 13 permits the button to be detached when desired without injury to eitherthe plug or the fabric. Thus it will be seen that the button is adapted for further use after having been detached.

It is evident that the shell 10 is of such shape as to be easilyinserted in a button hole to hold parts of a garment together, and the outwardly inclined sides of the shell permits the button to be easily disen aged with the button hole, when desired. Ilowever, it is to be understood that the size and shape of the shell may be varied, and as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the face of the button may be treated in any manner desired to simulate the design of an ordinary button.

It is also to be understood that a button constructed in accordance with my invention is especially convenient and practical for use on garments, but said button is adapted to be attached to any article of fabric.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In a detachable button, a frusto-conical shell having an opening in its reduced end and being interiorly enlarged for receiving a portion of the fabric to which it is to be attached, and a fastening element including resilient prongs for inserting the fabric in said opening and frictionally engaging the same within said shell, thereby securing the latter to the fabric.

2. In a detachable button, a shell having an opening for receiving a portion of the fabric to which it is to be attached, a bead surrounding the opening, and a fastening element including a plurality of resilient tongues adapted to force the fabric into said opening, whereby the same is frictionally engaged between the tongues and the said bead and the said shell secured to the fabric.

3. In a detachable button, a frusto-conical shell having an annular opening in its reduced end, an annular bead at the reduced end surrounding the opening, and a fastening element having a plurality of resilient tongues mounted thereon to form an annular insert, said tongues being offset outwardly at their intermediate portions to provide an annular shoulder, for retaining a portion of the fabric in the shell.

4. In a detachable button, a frusto-conical shell having an annular opening in its reduced end, an annular bead surrounding the opening, and a fastening element including a head and a plurality of resilient tongues mounted thereon to form an annular insert, said tongues being ofiset outwardly at their intermediate portion to provide an annular shoulder and having notches in their sides adjacent said head to reduce said tongues in width.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES R. NALLE. 

